Supporting women in their financial journeys is both a responsibility and an opportunity for financial professionals. Women face distinct hurdles — from pay gaps to longer life expectancies — that demand tailored financial strategies.
By addressing these obstacles and empowering female investors, financial advisers can create meaningful impacts on their clients’ lives and financial well-being. Here’s how you can step up your game to better serve the women who rely on you for guidance.
1. Understand the unique challenges
Women’s financial realities often differ due to societal and economic factors. Recognizing these disparities is the first step to offering better advice and solutions.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
- The gender pay gap. Women working full time earn an average of 84 cents for every $1 earned by men. This reduces their ability to save, invest and build wealth.
- Longer lifespans. Women tend to outlive men by several years, meaning they’ll need to stretch their retirement savings further while facing higher health care costs.
- Single later in life. More than half of women age 65 and older are single, compared to 32% of men. This means women have less access to pooled resources and financial economies of scale.
- Time-starved roles. Women shoulder nearly 80% of unpaid domestic work, from caregiving to household management. This dual burden can leave little room for financial planning.
- Student loan debt. Women hold 64% of student loan debt, which delays saving, investing and pursuing financial independence.
These challenges make proactive and personalized planning a necessity — not a luxury.
2. Take action with tailored strategies
Empowering women starts with giving them the tools, knowledge and confidence to take control of their finances. Help clients move forward with these actionable approaches:
Encourage financial independence
- Keep money in their name. Every woman should have financial accounts and credit lines in her name. This helps ensure autonomy and builds individual credit history.
- Balance joint and personal finances. Even in partnerships, encourage clients to hold separate funds alongside shared accounts. This improves financial flexibility and confidence.
Promote intentional planning
- Create written financial plans. A clear road map helps clients define long-term goals and stay on track through market changes or life events.
- Prioritize retirement savings. Encourage women to “pay themselves first” by regularly maxing out contributions to IRAs or 401(k) accounts. This not only builds wealth but can also offer tax advantages.
Build confidence through education
- Demystify investments. Help clients understand their assets, fees and performance benchmarks. Clear explanations can replace fear with engagement.
- Offer learning opportunities. Share workshops, book recommendations or resources. An informed client is more empowered to make smart decisions.
These strategies go beyond money management — they create confidence and control.
3. Be a partner, not just an adviser
To truly empower female clients, financial professionals need to take a supportive, relationship-first approach.
Foster open conversations
- Ask the right questions. “What are your long-term goals?” or “What keeps you up at night financially?” These questions uncover not just objectives but also fears and priorities.
- Normalize disagreements. Financial strategies within relationships can face conflict. Help couples work through these and align on shared goals.
Offer personalized guidance
- Build trust. Clients should feel confident and comfortable with you as an adviser. Your willingness to listen and adapt is key.
- Plan for life’s curveballs. Whether it’s divorce, illness or widowhood, having a flexible backup plan helps ensure clients stay on course toward their goals.
Support legacy and wealth transfer planning
- Optimize estate plans. Work with clients to preserve future wealth for their loved ones while maintaining their own financial stability.
- Encourage discussions. Help women take ownership of family estate planning to help ensure clarity and alignment.
With communication and guidance, you can help women feel more in control and ready to face the future.
The power to empower
Empowering female investors is more than a professional responsibility — it’s an opportunity to address financial inequities and foster confidence in underserved clients. By understanding their unique challenges, offering actionable strategies and being a partner, you can make a tangible difference not only in your clients’ lives but in the financial world at large.
Financial independence isn’t just the goal; it’s the foundation for women to write their next chapter. With your support, they can take those steps confidently and securely.
2/25-4190751 Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Any references to protection, safety or lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the issuing carrier. For financial professional use only.
Interested in more information for financial professionals? Sign up for Kiplinger’s new newsletter, Adviser Angle.
Related Content
- Investment Management: A Return to Simplicity
- The Four Key Pillars of Wealth Management of the Future
- What the Great Wealth Transfer Means for Financial Advisers
- How Financial Professionals Can Build Trust With Clients
- Seven Tips to Land Your First Client as a Financial Adviser or Entrepreneur
-
3 Ways to Stretch the 2026 Social Security COLA For Your BudgetThree steps retirees can take to stretch the Social Security COLA to fit their budgets.
-
How to Keep Your Charitable Giving Momentum Going All YearInstead of treating charity like a year-end rush for tax breaks, consider using smart tools like DAFs and recurring grants for maximum impact all the year.
-
Uber Takes Aim at the Bottom Lines of Billboard LawyersUber has filed lawsuits and proposed a ballot initiative, in California, to curb settlements it claims are falsely inflated by some personal injury lawyers.
-
3 Ways to Stretch the 2026 Social Security COLA For Your Budget
Three steps retirees can take to stretch the Social Security COLA to fit their budgets.
-
Giving Tuesday Is Just the Start: An Expert Guide to Keeping Your Charitable Giving Momentum Going All Year
Instead of treating charity like a year-end rush for tax breaks, consider using smart tools like DAFs and recurring grants for maximum impact all the year.
-
Uber Takes Aim at the Bottom Lines of Billboard Personal Injury Lawyers
Uber has filed lawsuits and proposed a ballot initiative, in California, to curb settlements it claims are falsely inflated by some personal injury lawyers.
-
Dow Slides 427 Points to Open December: Stock Market TodayThe final month of 2025 begins on a negative note after stocks ended November with a startling rally.
-
6 Jimmy Buffett Lyrics Every Retiree Should Live ByNo, it's not just Parrotheads who can learn something from the legendary rocker.
-
A Financial Adviser's Health Journey Shows How the 'Pink Tax' Costs WomenFact: Women pay significantly more for health care over their lifetimes. But there are some things we can do to protect our health and our financial security.
-
I'm a Cross-Border Financial Adviser: 5 Things I Wish Americans Knew About Taxes Before Moving to PortugalMoving to Portugal might not be the clean financial break you expect due to U.S. tax obligations, foreign investment risks, lower investment yields and more.
-
What to Make of a Hot IPO MarketThis year's crop of initial public offerings could be even dicier than usual because of a skew toward tech and crypto.
